


I'll always be there, as frightened as you

by xylia1225



Series: Help us survive being alive-Wilton Fics [4]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Drunken Confessions, Drunkenness, Fluff, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-25
Updated: 2014-04-25
Packaged: 2018-01-20 17:08:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1518524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xylia1225/pseuds/xylia1225
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a pleasant morning walk with Will Graham, Frederick returns to work for the first time after being released from the hospital.  He leaves work as exhausted as ever, despite the day being uneventful, and finds himself in need of some comfort.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll always be there, as frightened as you

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place after "Someone you need to let in"

Frederick drove toward his house after work, rubbing his sore head. The sun was still up, so he wore his baseball cap to keep the sun out of his eyes. The day had been a trying one, after his pleasant morning walk with Will Graham.  

When Frederick had arrived at work, several nurses smiled at him and told him they were glad he was feeling well again.  Something in their tones made it clear they weren't entirely sincere.  But Frederick was used to that.  The piles of paperwork were the true source of exhaustion.  Frederick had spent half the day trying to hunt down the doctor who had taken over for him while he was away, but the incompetent fool was nowhere to be found.  Frederick's hospital was in complete disarray, it seemed to him.  It didn't take long before nurses and doctors were hurrying past him, without making eye contact, as they had before he'd been hospitalized.  It had been the same after the Abel Gideon ordeal.  His colleagues pretended to care for a minute, then carried on.  Frederick was fine with it.  He didn't want pity.

After such a long day, Frederick remembered that he had no wine at home.  There was no time like the present to rectify that situation, so he changed his course to swing by a liquor store.  Frederick huffed and mumbled as he made his way through the store, which smelled of old spilled wine.  None of the wines he came across could hold a candle to the vintages he'd had, that the FBI had confiscated when they'd thought he was the Chesapeake Ripper.  Frederick finally selected a couple bottles of red and a couple bottles of white, along with a nice rosé.  It was a start, at least.

When Frederick returned home, he paused at the top of the stairs which lead down to the wine cellar and guest room.   _The house is empty._  Slowly, he made his way down the stairs, pausing for a deep breath at the bottom.  He peered around the corner to look into his guest room.  Empty, of course.  Frederick placed his newly-purchased wine into shelves, except the rosé, which he brought back up with him.

~~*~~

Will Graham returned home from teaching at the academy as the sun was setting.  He pat his dogs as they welcomed him through the door, then refilled their food dishes.  

"Winston, down!" he said sternly as the golden dog sprang up on the living room couch.  Winston sniffed the seat and wagged his tail.  

"Down, boy," Will said again, gently pushing the dog back to the floor.  Will glanced at the empty couch and felt his brow furrow.  He shook his head and prepared himself dinner.

Not even an hour later, Will was in his car, Winston by his side.  The happy dog had his head out of the window, tongue flapping happily in the cool night air.  At every intersection, Will almost turned around to go back home.  But a few minutes later, he arrived at Frederick's house.

Will put Winston on a leash, a measure the dog was not at all accustomed to.  Will thought Frederick would appreciate  _not_ being knocked to the floor when he opened his front door.

He approached the door, holding Winston close, and rang the doorbell.  Inside, Will heard a chain reaction of thuds, then a moment of silence.  Just as he was about to turn to leave, the door opened.

Frederick Chilton was visibly drunk.  His tie hung loose around his neck, and the first three buttons of his shirt were undone.  His hair was a wild mess.  He held his cane above his head like a weapon, his eyes fierce and wide.

"Will," he said with surprise, slowly lowering his cane.  "What...are you...dog?"  He looked down at Winston.

"We thought we'd check in on you," Will replied, petting Winston's head.  Frederick stared blankly for a moment, rocking slightly back and forth.

"Um, come in, yes," he said at last.  "Dog...dog can too."

"Thank you," Will replied.  "And his name is Winston.  Apparently he likes you."  The dog's tail was waving frantically as he sniffed at Frederick.

"Winston's got good taste," Frederick said, puffing up his chest.  "Come drink wine."

Will and Winston walked into Frederick's house and followed him to the living room.  There were three bottles of wine on the coffee table.  

"Did you know they took my wine?" Frederick asked as he clumsily took a glass out of a china cabinet.  "They took it.  Took it all.  You know, in case I kept fermented human blood in my basement."  Frederick smiled and laughed, filling a glass for Will.  Will grabbed the glass quickly, lest Frederick spill it.  They both sat down.  Winston jumped up onto Frederick's leather couch.

"No, down, Winston!" Will said, standing.

"It's alright, Will," Frederick said, putting an arm around the dog.  His face turned stern then.

"Did you ever remind Jack that I can't digest animal proteins?" he asked, his faced scrunched to a comical degree.  "You know humans are animals, correct?  How could he actually believe I was a cannibal?  What?"  

"We had to go along, Frederick," Will said.  "Of course we didn't expect Miriam to shoot you."

"No?" Frederick shouted, leaning forward.  "No you did not!  But it happened!  And now my wine is gone!"

"Perhaps you've had enough wine tonight, Frederick," Will suggested as Frederick burrowed his face into Winston's fur.

"I have had a perfect amount of wine, yes," Frederick replied.  "My head doesn't hurt anymore."

"I'm not sure that will be true by morning," Will laughed.  Frederick ignored him, his attention focused on petting the playful dog beside him.  He wrapped his arms around Winston's neck and nuzzled him, closing his eyes.

"Dogs are great," he mumbled.  "Did you know I'm a dog person.  Everyone always thinks I'm a cat person.  But I'm a dog person."  Winston licked his chin.

"Alright, Frederick, maybe it's time for you to go to bed," Will said, standing.  "Don't you have to return to work tomorrow?"

"Yes, incompetent fools, everywhere," Frederick said.  "Have to do everything myself.  Imbeciles."  

Will grabbed Frederick by the arm and pulled him up.  He handed him his cane and started leading him toward the stairs.  

"Where do you want to sleep?" Frederick asked as they entered his bedroom.  "There are no sheets on the bed in the guest room..."  His gaze was suddenly far away, remembering.

"I'm going to my house, Frederick," Will said, guiding Frederick to his bed.  Frederick's eyes were wide as he looked at him.

"Please don't go," he said, moisture building at the edges of his eyes.  "Please don't leave me alone here."  Will was taken aback.  Perceptive as he was, he did not expect this type of behavior from Dr. Frederick Chilton.  Winston jumped up onto the bed and licked Frederick's hand.  Frederick grabbed the dog and pulled him into a tight hug.  A few seconds later, he was sobbing into the fur.

Will sat next to him on the bed, awkwardly extending his hand to rest on Frederick's shoulder.  

"Ok," he said softly.  "I'll stay."  Suddenly, Frederick turned and wrapped his arms around Will, still sobbing.

"Thank you," he sobbed.  "Thank you, thank you, thank you."  Will hugged him back.


End file.
